No. 30 -- 16 March 1932

Mr. N.A. Hughes,
C/o Y.M.C.A. College,
5315 Drexel Avenue,
CHICAGO. Ill. U.S.A.

My dear Noel,

Your letter of Feb. 9th reached me this week. We are sorry to hear that you have had the 'flu. Snow is very beautiful as you suggest in your letter, but of course the experience of long walks in the snow can only be carried out when you are properly booted and equipped for it. You probably did not have any of the necessary equipment to face such an experience.

Winter in Chicago is a pretty desperate business as I can well recall. It was February when I visited Chicago the last time, and the cold was intense.

I am sorry that you had to miss some of your school work but I guess that cannot be helped under the circumstance.

Lake Geneva is a lake in Wisconsin just north
of the Illinois border. A campus there was part
of the Chicago YMCA College, later renamed
George Williams College. According to a
history of the college found on the
Aurora University website: "The roots of
George Williams College run deep
in the YMCA movement of the 19th century.
In 1884, leaders from America’s “western”
YMCAs gathered on the shores of Geneva Lake
in Williams Bay, Wisconsin, to attend a
summer training program. Two years later,
the camp was incorporated, and the first
parcel of the current Williams Bay campus
was purchased. Since that time, “college camp”
has been a source of inspiration, recreation,
education and renewal for thousands of
guests and students."

I am glad to hear that you have placed an application with the College for a position at Lake Geneva, and I sincerely hope it will come your way. I am surprised to learn that there will not be a Summer School this year. Is that because of the depressed conditions? I do not recall any similar occurrence in other years. What will actually take place at Lake Geneva during the summer? It is usual for quite a number of Summer Schools and conferences to be scheduled over the months of July and August. Presumably there will be a number of such conferences and you will be attached to the staff if you get the job.

The World's Fair mentioned was the
1933 Century of Progress exhibition in
Chicago. It was a major event in Chicago
history and will come up again in future letters.

We note your suggestion about the Australian Exhibit at the World's Fair in 1933. I will make some enquiries on this matter, but I imagine that most of the actual arrangement will be done by our Australian representative in New York. Anyhow I will make some enquiries and will let you know, if possible, by the next mail.

The Washington stamps mentioned likely included this
stamp, issued in 1932 as part of a bicentennial
celebration of George Washington's birth 200 years
previous. A whole series of stamps was issued, but this
was the most popular.

Thank you for the Washington stamps which you enclosed. I have already received a number of used stamps of the same issue which I am carefully keeping.

I hope your Fraternity dinner passed off satisfactorily. It seems a pretty expensive affair, when it costs 35/- for all expenses!

Since my last letter, Keith has been exceptionally ill. We have had the Doctor to him practically every day for a week. We thought it might be diphtheria and a swab of his throat was taken and examined, but the result was negative. He has had a very bad attack of laryngitis. The Doctor states it was one of the most severe cases he had ever handled.

Ruth also has been out of sorts again and I am beginning to wonder whether after all she will be strong enough to continue her training to the end. Today she is home and is very much out of sorts and I shall have to apply for further sick leave for her. The work is so desperately heavy and the hours so long that only the strongest can stand up to the work.

I am sending you a short printed article that appeared in the magazine section of the "Herald" which describes the Sydney Bridge. This, I thought would interest you. Great preparations are in hand for the official opening which takes place next Saturday. A tremendous number of people from all the States and from overseas are visiting Sydney, and I imagine there will be quite a big round of festivities. It is likely that several of the illustrated papers will bring out special editions on the Bridge, and if so I will endeavour to send you one or two so that you may have all the details.

The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954),
Monday 14 March 1932, page 10

I'm not sure if this is the specific article that George
included in the letter, but it fit the description.

The Vikings went away for their Weekend Conference last weekend, and had a good time at Beaconsfield.

We had a work party of 10 fellows at Camp Manyung and they did splendid work which Burge estimates worth about 60. They have erected showers, laid concrete, made drains, and quite a lot of other useful work.

Rex. is still away in Sydney and we do not know exactly when he will return. I should imagine he will not be back until after next weekend at the earliest.

We are having special meetings of the Finance Executive to discuss whether we can increase revenues in the different departments and sections of the work. In the face of the depressed conditions it will be hard going to raise additional money, but we must do so or else make further economies. It is obvious we cannot continue to lose money each month as we are now doing.

Mr. Hines is away on holiday and will not return until after Easter.

Ernie Gollan is to be married on Saturday March 19th to Lilian Langham.

George Briggs was offered the General Secretaryship of the Y.M.C.A. at Port Pirie, but he turned it down, so that he might continue his studies and afterwards go to the States. I think he was wise.

E. C. Parsons, late Physical Director at Perth, passed through here yesterday. He is returning to England.

Well, my boy, I must close now. I am off to Rotary Club luncheon. I sincerely hope you have completely recovered from the 'flu and that you will be successful in your second term's exams.

I had a fellow in the other day to look at the Amplifier but I do not expect a sale will eventuate, although he looked the machine over and said he would keep it in mind should an opportunity occur to dispose of it.

All the folk at home unite in warmest love.

Yours affectionately,
Dad

(Handwritten post-script)

Ruth's birthday card arrived yesterday. Thanks! She will acknowledge.

Kath sent you a sweater.

I was amazed to hear that you hadn't written to her for months!
What's up?

Noel's Account of Crossing Canada in 1931 - Audio

When I first wrote about Noel's crossing through Canada on his way to the YMCA conferences in Toronto and Cleveland, I didn't remember that I had more first-person information about the trip to share.

In 1982, when I was only 12, I made an audio tape of my grandfather, Noel, recounting some family history, including a story about his trip through Canada with the Hawaiian delegation on the way to the YMCA conferences.

It's been a learning process for me to get the recording off the cassette tape and into a digitized format that I can share, but I'm finally finished with it.

So, below is a YouTube video link of Noel telling the story, plus a transcript of the recording. I hope you find it interesting.

Noel: "In 1931 when I came over to America, when we arrived in Honolulu, about 30 young Hawaiian boys got on the boat. They were going to the World Conferences of YMCAs in Toronto and Cleveland. And so, I being by myself, I joined them. And, they were singing Hawaiian songs and everything on the boat from Hawaii to Vancouver.

"And, when we got to Vancouver, I stayed at the same hotels they stayed at. We were invited to a basket-- a baseball game and we sang at intermission -- at half time we sang Hawaiian songs in the stands.

"And then, we traveled on the same train, the Canadian Pacific into the Rockies, and I traveled with them. And we sang in the First Class section to amuse the First Class people on the train. And we got into the observation cars, you know, with the glass roofs.

"And then, when we got to the station for Lake Louise, we got off there as guests of the management, and we stayed one night at the Chalet at Lake Louise. In return for that, we sang on the terrace at sunset."

Haley: "And by then, you knew all the Hawaiian songs."

Noel: "That's right. And then the next day, we all piled into a bus, and they took us the 40 miles to the Banff Springs Hotel. And we stayed overnight there and in return for that we sang on the terrace of the Banff Springs Hotel.

"And when we continued, then, we had a special car on the train for us all the way to Toronto."

No. 29 -- 2 March 1932

Mr. N.A. Hughes,
C/o Y.M.C.A. College,
5315 Drexel Avenue,
CHICAGO. Ill. U.S.A.

My dear Noel,

Your letter of January 26th with its supplementary material dated 30th January, came to hand by the last mail. It was read with a great deal of interest. We were all delighted to know that you are still managing to pull along quite satisfactorily.

I was interested in your acknowledgment of my letters!!! I have not checked back the list, but I imagine it must be fairly correct.

This long paragraph devoted to Noel's
involvement in the "playground movement"
had me intrigued, so I did more research.
I don't know Noel's specific involvement,
but the movement to create playgrounds
to keep kids off the street started
in the 1890s and seems to have
still been going in the 1930s in Chicago.
It was a movement championed by
progressives and social reformers,
and with Noel attending a social-
service centered college and his
involvement in the YMCA, it seems a
natural fit for him. My interpretation of
this paragraph is that Noel might have
had a job running some of the
playground programs, and George is worried
about the loss of income, so is urging
Noel to keep in contact with the parent
members so they don't drop the program.
For more about the playground
movement in Chicago, see this article.
Do you know anything about the Playground
Movement in Chicago during the 1930s?
Or the YMCA's involvement in it?
I'd love to hear about it.

I am sorry to hear that your playground movement is not being maintained at the old levels. I quite imagined that there would be a dropping off as unemployment increased and conditions became harder. It is unfortunate that you are not able to make more definite contacts with the parents, so that you may be able to keep your members. While you may have sufficient coming in to carry your incidental expenses, you must not forget the fact that you have a long period of vacation when your living expenses will be required. I know it is difficult to maintain your college schedule and do everything that is necessary to maintain your grades, and at the same time do interviewing work of this type, but it seems to me if it is at all possible for you to squeeze in occasional visits to the parents, it would pay you in the long run. I know that immediately the vacation period comes round, and the college closes, you will be faced with the problem of maintaining yourself, and I would urge that you give very careful thought to this matter well ahead of the time so that your plans may be in hand for your maintenance during that long period.

In my last letter I mentioned how necessary it would be to think in terms of the amount you will require to start your next year's College work, with text books and other incidental expenses. Quite a few pounds must be in hand to start the year with.

I hope you will satisfactorily carry out all the tests required when "hell week" comes round, so that your initiation into the Fraternity may be in order.

All this talk about money had me curious
so I did some searching. I thought
about inserting images of currency from
the 1930s, but instead opted for this video.
It's very catchy, plus explains the system
of pounds, shillings and pence used in
Australia at this time. Enjoy!

The dollar bill you sent, came safely to hand, although it was quite unnecessary for you to send it. We are only too happy to forward the material you asked for. I will retain the bill as it may be of some value in paying accounts a little later on when I shall require to send money to America. I will give the kids 1/- a piece so that they will feel that we have not taken something from them about which you wrote.

I am greatly encouraged by the fact that you are getting into your stride in your studies and that you are able to cover the work. Don't forget that it doesn't pay to do without sleep for too long. You can maintain that for awhile, but nature after a time asserts itself and when the testing time comes, such as examinations, etc., the mind refuses to work in the normal way.

We note your request for a snap of the family. We will endeavour to send something along, better than the one forwarded in the last mail.

Too bad the diary has been lost over the years,
but this did remind me that I have other
treasure related to Noel's crossing of
Canada. This post was my initial piece
about that crossing, but there is also an
updated post with an audio recording I made in
1982of Noel recounting his Canadian crossing.
It was originally recorded to cassette tape,
but I've digitized it.

We were very glad also to get a further consignment of your diary. It helped us to understand just exactly what you have done on the trip across Canada. You certainly had a wonderfully good time. We shall look forward to receiving the balance of the diary.

Ruth is keeping quite well apart from a cold which has now practically gone. No ill effects came from the accident, worth talking about. Edith is getting along quite well at school and also in her music and elocution. She is expecting  to have a test in music shortly, so as to find out whether she will be fit to take her first examination in May. Joyce has started music again. We felt it wise to leave her to make her own decision in this matter. Whether she will continue it or not remains to be seen.

I am rather amused at your reference to "make them study". I wish to goodness I could have drummed the same thing into your head when you were here! I tried hard to get you to realise that you were taking things far to easily, and trusting to pot luck to get through on the American end. Now you realise how essential it is to have adequate preparation so as to get advanced standing.

All the family read the letter and I also passed on your regards to those mentioned in your letter. Joy is enclosing a letter with this.

Mother is keeping in excellent health and so is Keith. He had a good deal of trouble with his teeth, but that seems to have straightened out alright. Rex Baker left on Sunday for Sydney, where  he expects to remain for about three weeks installing some talkie apparatus.

Under separate cover I am sending you a letter which arrived here just about the time the last mail left, and which unfortunately, I forgot to forward at that time. It is from one of your friends, a Czechoslovakian who met you at the conferences. I will acknowledge the letter and will send him a little material on Australia. You should answer it at your first opportunity and thank him for the snapshots, etc. It will be a good thing for you to maintain your contact with him.

You will be glad to learn that we had a very successful weekend for our Business Men's classes at Camp Manyung. Forty-five of them attended and they had a thoroughly happy time. We plan to hold a weekend camp every month during the year. This month we shall have one on the weekend 12th, 13th and 14th March and then the Easter Camp, 25th, 26th, 27th and 28th March. Ivor is featuring this in his Physical Department programme throughout the year. Incidentally he is making money which will be turned into new equipment at the camp.

We had a Rotary weekend at Camp Somers last Saturday and Sunday. About 50 Rotarians attended the camp and we had a really happy time together. Next Saturday I am organising a picnic for 40 of the Montague Club boys who will be motored to Eltham by the Rotarians, given refreshments and a good time. This is part of our policy in connection with the Boys' Work Committee of which I am Chairman.

I am enclosing a copy of the Educational Department folder, which will help you to see the new classes we are organising this year. There are others we have in mind for later in the year.

Y.M.C.A. (1932, February 27).
The Argus (Melbourne, Vic.: 1848-1956), p. 25.
Retrieved January 22, 2013, from
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article4414073

The Annual Meeting was held on Feb. 25th and went off quite well. A copy of the Annual Report has been sent to you. Three new Directors, Messrs. F.W. Bond (Magistrate), A.E. Pascoe and Fred. Walker, both Rotarians, have been added to the Board. They will strengthen us a good deal.

Matron is away on holiday in Sydney. Miss Ray is carrying on. The Boys' Department programme commences this week, and we are now getting into our stride for the winter's work.

I have not heard a great deal from America recently, apart from a letter or two from Harry Holmes and Ned Brownell. Mrs. John W. Cook wrote to Mother and gave news concerning Mr. Cook and herself.

For more about Noel's grades, there will
be a future post looking at Noel's
transcript from the YMCA College
in Chicago. I'll put a link here when I have one.

By the time this letter reaches you you will know the results of your second term's work. We shall all be delighted to hear how you got on.

Alf. Hines goes on holiday immediately after the Board meeting. Most of the others have had their holiday, so that we shall soon be settling down for the year's work. There will be considerable addition to our Boys' Department membership, especially from the Working Men's college. If we could take them they would be able to send us 300 boys, but on account of the difficulties of fitting that number in on the same day as we have the high school boys present, we cannot take more than half that number.

I must close now. We all unite in warmest love. Kind regards to Clive and his wife.

Yours affectionately,
Dad